It’s hard to find anybody anymore that suffers from “shame,” at least, in my world.  Wikipedia defines shame as: A “sense of shame” is the consciousness or awareness of shame as a state or condition. Such shame cognition may occur as a result of the experience of shame affect or, more generally, in any situation of embarrassment, dishonor, disgrace, inadequacy, humiliation, or chagrin. (Gee, why doesn’t anybody use the word “chagrin” anymore, either?)

It’s my personal opinion that “shame” has vanished right along with “taking responsiblity for one’s actions and the consequences that come from those actions.”

We’re all quick to blame someone or something for our actions these days, it’s much easier than admitting we actually did “something wrong”, and accept the consequences of how our friends, family and peers would feel about our admitting something that happened is our own fault.

Bush and Cheney didn’t take responsibility for Iraq; that was clearly Sadam’s fault.  Obama blames the financial crisis on Bush and/or Republicans in general.

Celebrities that get into some jam – be it Mike Tyson, Michael Vick (name your own political sex scandal, Vitter, Spitzer, etc., etc.) – “they” didn’t do it, no it was the “demon rum”, some other addiction, a shitty upbringing, terrible parents, the pressure to succeed, blah blah blah.

Just once (ok, more than once), I’d like to see somebody stand up and be a role model for the TRUTH.  “I FUCKED UP, I DID THIS, I KNEW BETTER, BUT DID IT ANYWAY, IT WAS WRONG, AND I WILL ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBLITY AND CONSEQUENCES FOR MY ACTIONS!”

Geez, I’d vote for that guy again.  Or go to their movie. Or buy their book, whatever.

It would be the proverbial ‘breath of fresh air’ in these times of blaming everything on everybody, anybody, except oneself.

Practice it this week. Call a former lover, friend, colleague, family member you wronged at sometime in the past. Apologize. Sincerely.

You’ll sleep better. And so will I.

That’s how I see it.